Articles from September 2024

A new study co-authored by World Wildlife Fund, Ecoexist, and Elephant Connection, reveals the largest ever GPS tracking database of elephant movement across Southern Africa.

Published September 9, 2024, in the Journal of Applied Ecology, the analysis is based on approximately 4 million GPS locations logged from nearly 300 tagged elephants and their associated herds traveling throughout the world’s largest land-based transboundary conservation area, the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA), between 2009 and 2023.

What is KAZA?

In 2011, Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe committed to collectively manage a valuable and biodiverse 106 million-acre, or 200,000 square mile region, nearly the size of France, allowing the movement of wildlife across international boundaries between protected areas, to improve dispersal opportunities and increase their chance of survival.

The Zambezi, Kwando, and Okavango rivers flow through the region. Woodlands, wetlands and grasslands provide critical habitat for lions, wild dogs, and the planet’s largest population of savanna elephants.

At the heart of the KAZA vision is the premise that conservation of the region’s rich natural resources can be the economic driver of a region, resulting in thriving landscapes where wildlife and communities coexist.

These countries converge in the Kavango and Zambezi river basins, creating a vast conservation and ecotourism destination. KAZA includes several national parks and natural wonders like the Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls.

Chobe River, Chobe National Park, Botswana

What are the benefits of large-scale transboundary collaboration?

Transboundary collaboration and the creation of wildlife corridors like KAZA offer numerous conservation benefits:

• Enhanced Biodiversity Conservation: By pooling resources and coordinating efforts, countries can more effectively protect and manage biodiversity. KAZA is dedicated to conserving a wide range of species, including the world’s largest population of savanna elephants and significant populations of lions, wild dogs, and cheetahs. This is particularly important for migratory species that move across national borders.
• Landscape Connectivity: Wildlife corridors facilitate the movement of species, crucial for maintaining genetic diversity, enabling seasonal migrations, and allowing animals to adapt to climate change by moving to more suitable habitats.
  KAZA provides critical habitat that allows wildlife to move across borders and between protected areas, which is essential for maintaining genetic diversity and ecosystem health.
  On this topic, I always think of Jane Goodall’s film, The Hope. In the period where she’s describing her transition from researcher in the bush to activist and public advocate for chimpanzees, she says, “One of the biggest problems today in conservation is the fragmentation of habitat. Populations isolated from other populations need to be genetically viable. Corridors allow connectivity. Local communities see value of it to their own future (water, education, etc.)”
• Ecosystem Functioning: Transboundary conservation areas (TBCAs) support ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling, water flow, and species dispersal, which are essential for the health of the environment.
• Political and Social Cooperation: Establishing TBCAs can strengthen relationships between neighboring countries and communities, fostering peace and cooperation through a shared commitment to conservation.
• Expanded Protected Areas: Transboundary conservation can lead to the expansion of protected areas, which is vital for the long-term survival of many species and the reduction of habitat fragmentation.
• Sustainable Development: These initiatives often promote sustainable economic development by integrating conservation with other land uses, such as ecotourism, which can provide income for local communities while preserving natural resources.
  KAZA’s woodlands, wetlands, rivers, and grasslands support not only wildlife but also the local communities that depend on these ecosystems for their livelihoods.
• Research Opportunities: Scientists benefit from the larger, more diverse landscapes of TBCAs, which provide greater opportunities for research and monitoring of ecological processes and wildlife populations. That’s exactly what’s happened in the case of this WWF study.
• Climate Resilience: By maintaining larger, connected ecosystems, TBCAs can enhance the resilience of natural systems to withstand and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Transboundary collaboration in conservation leads to more effective environmental stewardship, promotes peace and cooperation, and supports sustainable development, all while providing critical habitats for a wide range of species.

Why map wildlife movement?

WWF author Callie Cho explains, “Mapping current migration patterns is a crucial first step toward creating effective conservation strategies and protecting these critical animal movements.”

In the same week that the KAZA elephant study was released, WWF shared a new global digital atlas of Earth’s zebra and other ungulate populations—The Global Initiative for Ungulate Migration (GIUM). The maps showcase the movements of various species, including Tibetan antelope, reindeer, and guanaco.

From wildebeest in the Serengeti to caribou in the Arctic tundra and zebra in Namibia, ungulates across the globe complete some of the animal kingdom’s most impressive land-based migrations.

Ungulate migrations play a crucial role in shaping ecosystems:

• supporting large, healthy herds
• providing essential prey for predators and scavengers,
• helping to sustain biodiversity on land, and
• creating unique conditions that support diverse plants and animals.

For thousands of years, these migrations have been vital to human survival, creating deep cultural connections with Indigenous and local communities. But ungulate migrations are disappearing rapidly.

Despite their importance, ungulate migrations are in peril due to human activity. Poorly planned infrastructure (roads, fences), agriculture, and settlements fragment landscapes and create deadly obstacles for migrating herds.

Limited mapping of migrations has hampered ungulate migration management and conservation. By combining animal tracking data, historical records, and the knowledge of local and Indigenous communities, scientists are building a global migration atlas—a powerful tool for driving conservation efforts and informing policy at all levels.

The Global Initiative for Ungulate Migration (GIUM) was launched in 2020, uniting over 80 scientists worldwide to map and analyze ungulate movements. Their efforts culminated in this interactive atlas which highlights high, medium, and low-use migration corridors for a diverse range of species.

Crucially, the map pinpoints where these routes intersect with human-made barriers like roads and railways to guide conservation efforts, infrastructure planning, and policy decisions with cutting-edge data on ungulate travel patterns.

Where did the KAZA elephants go?

Extensive elephant GPS data can provide much the same guidance in and around KAZA. It turns out elephants rely on multiple methods to move around the region.

The data showed that in KAZA elephants use:

• micro-corridors,
• protected area pathways and
• macro-corridors to move across the transborder landscape.

These corridors and pathways are essential for elephants and other species to access water and avoid direct contact with human settlements. Now we have a map for them.

The main breakthrough of the study, though, may be in the new way—or scale—of seeing and mapping movement.

WWF Lead Wildlife Scientist and primary author Robin Naidoo said:

Our study has provided a first of its kind movement-based conservation blueprint for elephants in KAZA. A key aspect of conservation is understanding and securing landscape connectivity. However, small sample sizes have prevented researchers and policymakers from developing comprehensive connectivity conservation plans based on animal movements in the KAZA region, until now.

The Scale is Unprecedented – New Ways of Seeing

What both the elephant GPS data and GIUM database have in common—in addition to a lead author—is the use of new data measurement and management tools to envision wildlife movements on a an unprecedented scale.

Recently at the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, on a couple different panels, conservationists, explorers and filmmakers boldly proclaimed that we are living in a Great Age of Discovery and Exploration.

It might seem counterintuitive in this day and age. I’ll confess: I was skeptical.

They were referring, though, to the transformative impact new technologies, (especially advances in visual imaging, but also DNA sequencing, machine learning and artificial intelligence) are having on exploration and conservation. New technologies are revolutionizing the ways we see, understand and share the world.

These two studies mapping migrations exemplify this new age of discovery. New ways of seeing, tracking, and managing data allow us to “see” wildlife migrations—and collaborate and share the results with others in a way that makes a positive difference.

Photographed on Nat Hab’s Secluded Botswana Safari © Joey Sudmeier

Want to see KAZA for yourself?

Whether you’re planning a family safari, a custom safari for your own group, looking for a photo expedition, we’ve got you covered in the KAZA! Nat Hab offers river cruises as well as overland safaris in Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Check out all of our African safaris here.

Nat Hab Expedition Leader © Richard de Gouveia

The post 4 Million GPS Data Points: WWF Study Reveals Elephant Migration Corridors first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Forests are vital to all life on Earth. They filter the water we drink and the air we breathe. They provide essential medicines, food, and fuel for billions of people, including Indigenous peoples who call forests home. They also provide habitat for most of the world’s life on land. And forests provide the materials for products we use every day—such as paper in schools and offices; furniture and flooring in houses; musical instruments; rayon fabric in clothes; and even natural rubber in car tires.

But many people don’t realize the choices they make about which forest products to buy matter. In fact, these decisions can make a real difference in keeping some of the world’s most important forests thriving—at home and abroad—for nature, local communities, and our global climate.

Importance of Forest Products 

The forest sector contributed more than US$1.52 trillion to the world’s national economies in 2015, generating significant revenues for countries and companies—as well as communities. The global pulp and paper industry is one of the largest industrial sectors in the world. This sector accounts for 13%–15% of total wood consumption and uses between 33%–40% of all industrial wood traded globally. Some common pulp and paper products include office and catalog paper, glossy paper, tissue, and paper-based packaging. The United States is the second-largest paper producer and consumer country in the world after China.

© Theodore Kaye / WWF-China

Other key forest products sectors include wood products used for construction lumber, furniture, flooring, and decking; products that come from trees, like natural rubber; and other uses of wood such as pellets for bioenergy.

Unfortunately, some forest products operations have had devastating impacts on the world’s most ecologically important places and species. Illegal and unsustainable logging and conversion of forests for fast-growing timber plantations have destroyed high conservation value forests around the globe, impacting water quantity and quality and causing significant human rights violations and social conflicts. These issues are particularly severe in regions with a history of poor forest governance, including the Congo Basin, the Amazon, the Greater Mekong, Borneo and Sumatra, and the Russian Far East.

Deforestation and forest degradation contribute up to 15% of carbon emissions globally, and their climate impacts can be particularly serious in regions with deep peatlands, such as Sumatra. Peat soils store tremendous amounts of carbon that are released into the atmosphere when natural forests are converted for commodities like pulp and rubber.

© Andre Dib / WWF-Brazil

Given the global nature of the forest products trade, illegal and unsustainably sourced forest products from these regions can reach markets—and unsuspecting customers—all over the world. Even in countries with relatively better forest laws and law enforcement, there are still instances of timber theft and unsustainable practices that make forests more vulnerable to stresses like wildfires, disease, and invasive species.

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The good news is that when forests are managed in a socially and environmentally responsible way, it can bring many benefits to local economies while safeguarding biodiversity and natural resources like water; mitigating the effects of climate change; and promoting social values. An increasing number of forest managers and forest products companies recognize the business and brand value of employing responsible forestry and plantation management practices by implementing the rigorous standards of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®). 

US consumers can also play a key role in supporting responsible forestry by choosing products that are recycled or made with virgin fiber that is FSC certified. (You can find products certified to the FSC standard here). 

© Isaac VEGA / WWF-Spain

What WWF Is Doing to Support Forests 

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) works through its Forests Forward program to engage with companies and other stakeholders around the globe to deliver effective nature-based strategies for forests that help achieve their business and sustainability goals. 

Forests Forward combines the successes and learnings of WWF’s decades of engagement with companies through its Global Forest & Trade Network while harnessing business interest in advancing nature-based solutions to deliver meaningful, long-term benefits for nature, climate, and people.  

These efforts demonstrate the immense need for us all to think about how our everyday actions have consequences for the environment and the species (including humans) that call our planet home. The results are clear: Market demand in the US for responsibly sourced forest products can influence and improve forest management practices all over the world. Working together, we can all be part of the solution and make a positive impact on communities and habitats—around the corner and the globe.

What Can You Do? 

In addition to buying FSC-certified and recycled products, there are lots of ways consumers can help protect forests. This includes recycling paper and paper-based packaging, printing double-sided, shopping for used furniture, and getting involved with organizations working to protect forests around the globe. And if you live in the US, you can ask your congressional representatives to support the FOREST Act by going to our website worldwildlife.org and clicking “Take Action” at the bottom of the page. By doing so, you can help prevent illegally deforested products from entering US markets.

By Linda Walker, senior director of corporate engagement for forests at World Wildlife Fund

The post How Consumers Can Keep Forests Thriving first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.

Andrea Norgren, Senior Manager of Communications, at the WWF Global Arctic Programme, traveled to Greenland, with Natural Habitat Adventures at the beginning of August 2024.  

© Jeff Lawrence / Nat Hab

My trip in August to southeastern Greenland was an eye-opening experience, filled with stark contrasts that showcased the beauty and fragility of this remote region.  

Southeastern Greenland, including the Sermilik Fjord where we were for many days, is a dramatic testament to the Earth’s past. The mountains that rise sharply from the ocean are primarily composed of Precambrian gneiss and granite, some of the oldest rocks on the planet, dating back over three billion years. It was humbling to stand among these ancient formations, shaped by tectonic forces and carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age. 

© Malene Lynge / WWF-Denmark

The banded gneiss and solidified granite reveal a history shaped by immense pressure and time. Both are rocks that had once been molten, now solid and unmoving, set against the ever-changing ice and water that surrounded them. 

Finding serenity amidst the wilderness 

Each morning at Nat Hab’s Base Camp Greenland, an expedition lodge with tent cabins located on the east side of Sermilik Fjord, our small group would gather on the rocks, following the lead of a fellow traveler and new friend who guided us through yoga poses. The setting was surreal—and I was calm and focused, breathing in one of the planet’s most remote and untouched landscapes.  

Over the five days while we were at the Base Camp, we hiked in the mountains surrounding the Sermilik Fjord many times. We were rewarded with sweeping views of the fjord, where jagged mountains and vast expanses of ice stretch as far as the eye could see. We also kayaked among towering icebergs that felt almost alive, groaning and shifting as they interacted with the water and wind.  

© Malene Lynge / WWF-Denmark

Amidst it all, there was always laughter—a sense of connection and warmth between this incredible group of fellow travelers witnessing together the magic of this remote area of the Arctic. 

Taking in the natural beauty 

At first glance, this part of southeastern Greenland appears almost devoid of life. The vast expanses of ice and rock seem inhospitable, and wildlife sightings were rare. But as I spent more time in this stark environment, I began to notice the subtle signs of a rich biodiversity. The ground beneath my feet was often cushioned by lichen and moss, resilient organisms that thrive in the harshest conditions. Wildflowers, small but vibrant, dotted the landscape, adding unexpected splashes of color. 

© Anthony Amsel / Nat Hab

There were also more birds than I initially realized. Gulls, ravens, and snow buntings brought sound and movement to the otherwise quiet backdrop. But the true stars of the show, for me, were the whales. On our boat trip from Tasiilaq to our camp near Sermilik Fjord, we were treated to the sight of many humpbacks. Watching these majestic creatures surface and feed, often near the towering icebergs, was a reminder of the interconnectedness of all life in this fragile ecosystem. 

One of the most surprising aspects of southeastern Greenland was the sound. Despite its remoteness, the region is far from silent. The ice, which dominates the landscape, has a life—and a voice—of its own. Although we didn’t see any dramatic ice-calving events, the icebergs were constantly cracking, shifting, and even flipping over, creating sounds that echoed across the fjord.  

Facing an uncertain future  

Our visit to local towns, such as Tasiilaq and the tiny village of Tinit gave us a glimpse into the lives of the communities that have lived and survived in this harsh environment for generations. Their way of life is closely tied to the natural world, but that is changing. Traditional hunting and fishing practices are being disrupted as the people who call Greenland home must adapt to an increasingly unpredictable climate.  

© Anthony Amsel / Nat Hab

Despite the hardships, there was a warmth and friendliness among the people we met—a resilience that has developed through generations of living in one of the most challenging environments on Earth. Yet, there was also a palpable sense of uncertainty about the future. 

The Arctic is warming four times faster than the global average and the effects are visible everywhere. Summer sea ice is shrinking rapidly and the icebergs we saw are calving at an unprecedented rate. The Greenland ice sheet is losing mass at an alarming pace, which is contributing to global sea level rise.  

My journey to southeastern Greenland was one of profound contrasts.  The beauty of this remote and rugged land is undeniable, but so is its fragility. The choices we make now will determine the future of places like southeastern Greenland—and the people and wildlife who depend on it. And while the contrasts I experienced on this journey will stay with me forever, so will the urgent need to protect the Arctic from the devastating effects of climate change.  

© Anthony Amsel / Nat Hab

The post Southeastern Greenland: A Land of Contrasts first appeared on Good Nature Travel Blog.